No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Recipe – Simple & Rich

                                                     No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars in a container, ready to eat.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

I was looking for a dessert where I had everything I needed in my cabinets - and this was the one. Who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate? The best part - you know exactly what is going into this recipe. These no-bake bars were fairly simple to make and, before I could even write this blog, they were all gone! 

Surprisingly, the peanut butter layer is very soft, like a caramel or fudge, and since I used a salted butter, there was no need to top with salt. The chocolate layer melts in your mouth and meshes well with the salty and peanut butter tier. This dessert or snack bar is so filling but it will be so hard to have just one! 

• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Serving size: Makes 8 small bars
• Family friendly: YES! They were gone within days!
• Rating: 10/10
• Minimum freeze time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Why You Will Love These Peanut Butter Bars

With only 8 simple ingredients, you really can't go wrong. You can have these bars as a mid-day snack when you are craving something sweet, or a small dessert before bed. They are very rich and filling, a little nostalgic, and so delicious. My son already asked if I could make them again! 

This decadent dessert combines salted butter, a light brown sugar and a sweetener (I used Splenda) layer with a creamy, melted chocolate. Add in cream cheese, almond extract, and heavy whipping cream, and you will be thanking me later!

Pro Tip

• If you don't want to use or if you don't have Splenda, you can use regular sugar
• These bars are very soft. I froze them for 20 minutes and they end up being more like a fudge - that's the correct texture

Inspiration

This dessert was inspired by Nutritious Deliciousness and also the want for a dessert where I didn't have to purchase anything. We used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of sugar free, eliminated sea salt, we used a natural peanut butter at half the measurement instead of a sugar-free option, we used cream cheese instead of mascarpone cheese, Splenda instead of monk fruit, brown sugar instead of brown monk fruit, and almond extract instead of vanilla extract. 

If you want a healthier option, feel free to replace your ingredients with the above. 

If You Enjoy No-Bake Snacks, You May Want to Try

How to Store

Store the bars in an airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to 5 days. Ours were gone in 3! Even with the bars being frozen, the layers will still be a fudge-type and soft. 

Ingredients for Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

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Ingredients for No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars laid out on a countertop.

How to Make No-Bake Bars

✓ Step #1: Make the bottom layer - On the stove on medium/low heat, combine the butter, Splenda packets and light brown sugar. 

Making the peanut butter layer for the No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

✓ Step #2: Continue the bottom layer - Once the butter is melted, add in the peanut butter and cream cheese. Whisk until both are combined and melted.

Cream cheese, brown sugar, Splenda, and butter in a bowl on the stove.

✓ Step #3: Remove from heat – Once everything is melted, remove from heat and add in the almond extract. The consistency should be fudge-like. 

A fudgy layer for the No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

✓ Step #4: Add mixture to a bread pan – Add the mixture to a PAM or cooking-sprayed bread pan. Since I wanted the bottom layer thicker, I only used about half the bread pan, otherwise it would have been too thin. Smooth out the layer. Freeze for 20 minutes. 

A bottom layer for chocolate peanut butter bars in a bread pan.

✓ Step #5: Melt the chocolate – Add the heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Add in the chocolate chips and let them melt for 10 minutes. I started this process while the bars were in the freezer. 

Heavy cream and chocolate chips in a bowl, melting together.

✓ Step #5: Add the chocolate layer – Once the peanut butter layer is hardened, after 20-30 minutes, take it out of the freezer and add the melted chocolate layer. 

A peanut butter layer topped with a chocolate layer in a bread pan.

✓ Step #5: Freeze – Add to an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours. Leave in freezer until ready to devour. Enjoy!

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars in a container, right out of the freezer and ready to eat.

What Did You Think?

Did you love these peanut butter bars? Did you have a hard to wanting more?

How You Can Support Savvy with Abbie

✓ Pin this recipe on Pinterest

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